Angel Reese had fans split on Friday following the Atlanta Dream‘s 113-06 win over the Indiana Fever in Georgia. The forward divided supporters after she made emotional comments on Juneteenth and her ancestors, while seemingly taking shots at Caitlin Clark and the Fever crowd.
Reese made her remarks after being questioned about singing the black national anthem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” following Atlanta’s road win over the Fever on Thursday. The Dream star claimed she sang the song in light of Juneteenth, while remembering her ancestors, but also took a subtle jab at Indiana supporters.
“I think it was just one in the moment of where I was and how it felt and how it hit,” Reese said. “My ancestors walk so I can run. And, I’ll never forget that every day I wake up, I’m very grateful.
“I haven’t heard Lift Every Voice in a while. And being where I was (Indiana), hearing the loud boos when I was in the arena and then when I heard Lift Every Voice, it just made me feel like this is for the ones that walked for me.”
WNBA reporter Meghan Hall shared a clip of Reese’s postgame remarks on X (formerly Twitter), earning reactions from fans, many of whom were not convinced by her comment, believing it was petty and a jab at Clark and the Fever.
However, reactions remained split, as despite the naysayers, many backed the forward for speaking openly and staying true to herself.
While Reese’s comments had fans divided, the forward will be focusing on the season ahead, especially after defeating the Fever in back-to-back games.
Angel Reese reflects on reaching a career milestone during the win against the Fever
Angel Reese secured an impressive milestone during her team’s emphatic win against the Indiana Fever on Saturday, becoming the fastest player to reach 1,000 points and rebounds in the WNBA.
After the game, Reese reflected on this moment, offering her candid reaction to reaching the milestone.
“I think people don’t realize rebounding is harder than you think,” Reese said. “Just being able to come out and do what I do every single night just shows my consistency.
“I think a lot of times I’m really hard on myself about how well I want to be and how great I want to be. But just taking my time and knowing that I’ve done some great things and just patting myself on the back and knowing that I want more.”
Reese remains one of the best players in the league and will be eyeing a strong finish this season after switching to the Atlanta Dream in the summer.
Edited by Arian Kashyap
